Improvement in washing-machines



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vATENT HENRY ELFORD LEA, OF HALFMOON BAY, CAllilFORNl'A.A

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,089, dated September19, 1871.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY ELEORD LEA, of Halfmoon Bay, county of SanMateo, State of California, have invented an Improved Washing- Machine,and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanyingdrawing are sufcient to enable any person skilled in they art or scienceto which it most nearly appertains to make and use my said invention orimprove ments without further invention or experiment.

My invention relates to an improved machine for cleansing clothes; andit consists of a box, inside of which is a revolving perforated drum orcylinder, into which the clothes or other fabric to be washed areplaced. A combined waterboiler and furnace of peculiar constructionstands at a short distance from the box, and pipe* communicate betweenit and the boiler, so as t keep up a continual circulation of hot waterand steam between the two, which, inconnection with an occasionalrevolution of the perforated drum or cylinder, accomplishes the `washingin a short time.

In order to more fully illustrate and explain my invention, reference ishad to the accompany ing drawing forming a part of this specification,in which- A represents a tightbox of any suitable shape andconstruction, and having a hinged or removable cover, B. (l is acylinder or drum, which is shown in the present instance as having apolygonal figure, but its shape is immaterial. Its sides D are alsorepresented as being perforated, but simple slats may be used instead.This box or cylinder is supported upon journals which bear in theopposite side of the box A, and is revolved by a crank, E, in the usualmanner. F is an annular boiler, having the replace gin its center. Apipe, 1L, emerges from this boiler at a point near its bottom, and,rising up, enters the box A near or at its bottom, While another pipe,7c, emerges from the highest part of the boiler and enters the box ordrum C through its journal t', which is made hollow for the purpose, sothat water and steam from the boiler will pass up into the drum C at itscenter and fall upon the clothes, while the Water in the box A will bedrawn back into the boiler through the pipe h, thus keeping up acontinual circulation of hot water and steam between the two vessels.

The operation is as follows: The clothes are first placed in therevolving drum C through a suitable hinged opening in the usual manner.Water is then poured into the box A, which immediately iills the annularboiler F, sufficient water being used to rise up in the box A until thelower part of the drum C issubmerged. A fire is then kindled-in thefireplace g, inside of the annular boiler, which will soon heat thewater and cause the circulation of steam to commence. The hot water andsteam issuing from the pipe lc falls upon the clothes, and is drawnthrough them by the suction produced by the water in the box A beingdrawn into the boiler through the4 pipe h. During this process the drumC is given an occasional turn, so as to present all parts to the actionof the hot water and steam. By this means a washing can be thoroughlyaccomplished in a very short time, without the necessity of rubbing theclothes, as the continued action of the steam and hot water, combinedwith the iction caused by the revo-V lution of the drum, will thoroughlycleanse them.

Having thus' described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

A washingmachine having a perforated drum, C, revolving on the hollowjournal t', in combination with the boiler F and pipes h 7c,substantially as shown and for the purpose described.

In witness that the above-described invention is claimed by me I havehereunto set my hand and seal.

HENRY ELFORD LEA. Witnesses:

GEO. H. STRONG,

BENJN. G. FABRE.

